Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Todd.
Hi Robert, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Grey Matters Rhythmic Movement and Music originally began in Salt Lake City in 2014, founded by Juan Carlos Claudio, a dancer and educator who saw the potential of movement and music to support individuals with Parkinson’s disease. What started as a focused exploration of how rhythmic movement could aid mobility and cognitive function gradually evolved—expanding into something that addressed not just physical health, but emotional, social, and spiritual well-being as well.
I first encountered the Grey Matters model through my own work as a choreographer and teaching artist. I was deeply moved by its philosophy and potential. With Juan Carlos’ blessing and collaboration, I brought Grey Matters to San Diego, adapting and expanding the original framework to serve seniors living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive impairments.
Today, as Regional Director for San Diego County, I’ve helped grow the program into a robust initiative that operates in memory care centers, assisted living facilities, wellness programs, and intergenerational community events. What began as a handful of classes has become a movement of its own—one rooted in rhythm, memory, and dignity.
Grey Matters is not just a class; it’s an invitation—for older adults to reconnect with their bodies, for families to witness moments of clarity and joy, and for communities to recognize the inherent value in every stage of life. It’s a calling I’m honored to be a part of and a rhythm I’m proud to help lead.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most meaningful work, it hasn’t always been a smooth road.
When I first began introducing Grey Matters in San Diego, many people still viewed movement and music for older adults as “entertainment” rather than therapeutic or necessary. One of the biggest challenges was shifting that perception—helping administrators, families, and even some caregivers understand that this work isn’t just joyful, it’s evidence-based, emotionally powerful, and deeply healing. Grey Matters invites them to rethink activities in aging facilities.
Too often, society sees aging facilities as places where older adults simply wait to pass. Our program flips that perspective: these communities can help residents thrive. They are not final destinations but centers of creativity, vitality, and hard-won wisdom.Or often activities in these facilities are passive in nature because of being afraid of the frail. I, as well as my fellow movement specialists in the Grey Matters program, are great at reading body language and something called “somaesthetics”, the sixth sense or thinking through the body. We enter a space, can read the energy, see, feel and sense beyond the physical and often make physical decisions on the spot inside of the planned structure of class to meet the participants where they are at.
Another struggle was finding the right team—people with both sensitivity and skill, who understood that working with memory care populations requires patience, creativity, and emotional intelligence. I’ve had to navigate personality clashes, burnout, and at times, resistance from institutions that weren’t initially open to something new.
Then, of course, there’s the emotional weight. Working with seniors—many of whom are in cognitive decline—means saying goodbye often. It requires holding space for grief while still showing up with presence and joy. That’s not always easy.
But every challenge has taught me something. These struggles have pushed me to build better systems, advocate more clearly for the value of our work, and most of all, stay grounded in why we do this: because every person deserves to be seen, heard, and moved.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the heart of my work is movement—movement as healing, storytelling, remembrance, and connection.
I am a choreographer, teaching artist, and community facilitator who specializes in working with older adults, particularly those living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive impairments. I lead Grey Matters Rhythmic Movement and Music in San Diego, where we use music, rhythm, somatics, and improvisation to create meaningful experiences for seniors across memory care, assisted living, and wellness settings.
But my work extends beyond the classroom. I serve as the Regional Director for Grey Matters in San Diego County, helping train teaching artists and movement specialists, build partnerships with senior centers, and advocate for the therapeutic and cultural value of this work.
I also collaborate with Villa Musica through their Musical Biographies program, where we explore the deep connections between memory, identity, and song. And through San Diego Dance Theater’s Healing Through the Arts Initiative, I support mature choreographers in bringing their work into senior communities—bridging professional dance with therapeutic outreach and intergenerational connection.
What I’m most proud of is how this work opens doors for people who are often forgotten or underestimated. When a participant with limited speech sings every word of a familiar song… when a caregiver sees their loved one light up in movement… when a 90-year-old creates a dance based on their life story—those are the moments that make everything worth it.
What sets me apart is my approach: I treat older adults as artists, contributors not just recipients. I see aging not as a decline, but as a deepening. I bring my own journey—as a queer artist, a former performer, and someone who’s lived through loss and reinvention—into every room I enter. I lead with empathy, structure, and improvisation, trusting that healing is not just possible—it’s rhythmic, and it’s communal.
Whether through movement, mentorship, or memory work, I help people find their voice again—sometimes without saying a word.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that often surprises people is that I almost gave up on dance completely.
There was a time in my life—after an injury, a heartbreak, and a spiritual reckoning—when I closed the curtains, covered the mirrors, and didn’t move for weeks. I felt disconnected not only from my art, but from myself. I thought the stage, the studio, and my creative voice were behind me.
What brought me back wasn’t ambition or performance—it was healing. I started moving again, slowly, just for myself. No mirrors, no audience. That quiet return to movement is what eventually led me to this work with older adults. I realized that dance didn’t have to be about perfection or applause. It could be about presence, dignity, memory, and joy.
So the surprising truth is: I didn’t find Grey Matters—it found me, at a time when I had forgotten my own rhythm. And helping others rediscover theirs has helped me rediscover mine.
Pricing:
- 100.00 Monthly
- 95.00 Bi Weekly
- 90.00 Weekly
Image Credits
Juan Carlos Claudio
Robert Todd
